Refrigerator



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' REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov. 4, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MN w kw. 9w 7 lnlll lIII 1min" Nov. 24, 1931. w L BODMAN 1,833,633

REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov.- 4, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet a M RT a 1 Q amvemto'qgo 254 A3633 MM,

' flbtovnu Patented Nov. 24, 1931 PATENT OFFICE WALTER LIGHT BODMAN, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

REFRIGERATOR Application filed November 4, 1926. Serial No. 146,253.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators. Manufacturershave for various reasons found it desirable to make refrigerators havinginner and outer walls of metal,

Such refrigerators must be light and strong,

and where there are but two walls, an inner and an outer which must bespaced apart so that at no point do the walls contact, they must bebraced to give them sufficient rigidity and to prevent them frombuckling. It has been found in practice that where these refrigeratorshave been put into use, the cool inner wall by reason of imperfectinsulation,

would absorb the heat from the outer wall, thus cooling the latter andresulting in obnoxious sweating, that is to say the outer wall becomescool, and the water present in the air of the room precipitates on thesaid wall to such an extent that it runs down and wets the floor.Furthermore, in the attempts to brace these walls, which are necessarilylight, usually of sheet metal, imperfect insulation resulted, expensivebracing has been required, and undesirable Weight has been produced. Myinvention is intended to overcome these difficulties, and produce acheap, strong, well insulated refrigerator, which will because of itsperfect insulation against heat be a much more economical refrigerator,and which has a system of bracing in nowise detracting from theinsulation between the inner and outer walls, but rendering the bodyunusually strong and rigid.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part'ofthis specification, in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the refrigerator embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of Figure 3 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a broken side elevation on an enlarged scale of a form ofcell suitable for a bracing element between the walls of therefrigerator, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail section of a form of drain pipe and trapsuitable for the refrigerator.

In carrying out this invention it will be apparent that the size,design, and style of the refrigerator can be varied to the same extentas in any refrigerator, and therefore, the drawings show a refrigeratorwhich is simply by way of example.

The refrigerator body 10 is preferably 4 though not necessarily mountedon a base 11 which should be of poor conductivity, as for example wood,and this has a conventional swinging member 12 at the front to permitaccess to the space beneath the refrigerator, while the base is alsopreferably mounted on casters 13 or the like. The refrigerator has itsouter wall 14. formed of metal, preferably thin sheet metal, which canbe a single sheet if the refrigerator is not too large, or which can ofcourse be enlarged in the usual way. The space between the inner andouter walls of the refrigerator may be filled by the elements 28hereinafter referred to, but strips of wood or the like can be used tofill out the corners. Thus in Figure 5 I have shown vertical members 15and 16 at the back and front corners, the members 16 fitting in grooves18 in the face plates, 17.

At the bottom and back of the refrigerator a filling member is shown,and at the front lower corner is disposed a similar member 20 which fitsin a groove 22 in the face plate 21. At the top and rear is a fillingmember 23, and at the front a similar member 24 fitting in the groove 26of the horizontal face plate 25. These several filling members are notimportant and can be used or not as desired.

The inner wall of the refrigerator is likewise a metal plate 27 which isspaced apart from the outer wall 14 by the frame 18, and which like theouter wall should be continuous, forming a complete inner lining for therefrigerator, except at the doors. The space practical, and the bracingto be eflective.

must be light and of poor conductivity. I have found that this resultcan best be obtained-by using independent cells 28which can be cartonsof poor conductivity, and they are independent and fill the spacebetween the inner and outer walls. They can be attached to the walls ifdesired, but this is not necessary. All that is required'to effectperfect bracing and insulation is to simply have the cells fill thespace between the walls. I have found that a desirable cell can be madeas illustrated in Figure 6, with an inner wall 29 of paper, a layer oflead foil 30, and an outer wall 31 of paper or the like, the body thusformed having removable covers 32. This particular type of cell is notessential, although it is desirable, and I have covered this by aseparate application for patent filed simultaneously herewith.

The cells can contain dead air or a partial vacuum, and they can befilled with nonconducting gas, as likewise can the space between thewalls and around the cells be dead air, a partial vacuum or filled withgas. In any event'it will be seen that I get good 1nsulation between theinner and "outer walls by this system, which is cheap and light andwhich also effects a very strong bracing of the walls.

In the example given I have shown the refrigerator provided with doors33, 34 and 35 (see Figure 1) of conventional type and arrangement, butit will be understood that.

the door arrangement of the refrigerator and its internal arrangement,can be varied to suit tastes and requirements. The doors, however,should have the same insulation and therefore to provide for doors Ihave shown a vertical standard 36 and cross piece 37 forming a part ofthe frame. to facilitate the hanging of the doors. These memberslikewise space the inner and outer walls of the frame, and the doorshave suitable frames 37' which space the walls,and the outer and innerwalls 14' and 27 of the doors have the spaces between them filled by thecells 28 as described. I

To illustrate the fact that the inner part of the refrigerator can bedivided as-rcquired, I have shown a transverse vertical partition 38(see Figure 5) forming a part of the inner wall, and a similar parallelpartition 39 forming one wall of an ice box, these being separated inthe center as shown at 40 but united at the edges, while openings can beleft at top and bottom of the merged partitions as shown at 40 and 40 toprovide for air circulation. If ice is used as a refrigerant I provide asuitable support 41 for ice which eaaess the frame member 37 (see Figure3), but it can be supported in any suitable way, as this forms nopart'of the invention. The shelf is shown with a central opening 43 forthe circulation of air, and I have shown it provided with a conventionaltelescoping drain pipe 44.

It is, however, necessary, to insulate the drain pipe so that it may notafford a conducting medium between the inner and outer walls of therefrigerator. Asone way of getting this result I have shown in Figure 7the lower part of the pipe 44 connecting with a cap 45 having a flange46 to enter the pipe 44, this cap resting on an insulating member-'48which has a chamber 47 to receive the flow from the pipe 44. Theinsulating member 48 rests on a circular stud 49 which is disposed inthe layer of cartons, and the chamber 47 has an annular recess 50 at thebottom to collect drainage water, and from this trap thus formed thewater overflows and passes out through the pipe 51. A float valve 52 isarranged over thepipe 51. This particular arrangement while desirable isnot claimed but it is shown because it is necessary to have completeinsulation between the outer and inner walls of the refrigerator, and inthe example which I have given to illustrate my improved construction,it will be observed that there is no good heat conducting elementconnecting the inner and outer walls of the refrigerator at any point.It will also be noticed that thin sheet metal can be used for the innerand outer walls, and that the light bracing cellular elements betweenthe walls make the body strong and stiff, while at the same timemaintaining a perfect insulation and lightness.

I claim 1. A refrigerator having a body formed of inner and outermetallic walls spaced apart and insulated from each other and cellularbracing elements of poor heat conductivity between the walls, saidelements being placed in contact with one another along their sides. Arefrigerator having a body formed of separate inner and outer metallicwalls spaced apart and insulated from each other, and independent cellsof poor heat conductivity substantially filling the space between thewalls. said elements being placed in contact with one another alongtheir sides.

3. A refrigerator having a frame of poor heat conductivity, inner andouter walls of sheet metal spaced apart and insulated by said frame, andcells of poor heat conductivity extending from wall to wall to bracesaid walls, said elements being placed in contact with one another alongtheir sides.

with a wall of two plates spaced apart and insulated from each other,andcellular nonconducting elements substantially filling the spacebetween the said walls, said elements 4. A refrigerator having a bodyformed being placed in contact with one another along their sides.

5. A container comprising a top, bottom, and sides, each of said sidesconsisting of an inner and outer wall of sheet material, and separatelyformed reinforcing members between the walls, said members being closelyarranged and substantially filling the space between the walls.

6. A container comprising a top, bottom, and sides, each of said sidesconsisting of an inner and outer wall of sheet material, and separatelyformed cylindrical reinforcing members between the walls, said membersbeing closely arranged and substantially filling the space between thewalls.

7. A container comprising a top, bottom, and sides, each of whichconsists of an inner and outer wall of sheet material, and separatelyformed reinforcing members between the walls, said members being closelyarranged and substantially filling the space between the walls.

8. A container comprising a top, bottom, and sides, each of whichconsists of an inner and outer wall, and separately formed cylindricalreinforcing members between and secured to the walls, said members beingclosely arranged and substantially filling the space between the walls.

9. A container comprising a top, bottom, and sides, each of said sidesconsisting of an inner and outer wall of sheet material, and hollowcylindrical members between and extending transversely to the walls,said members being held in abutting relation and operating to reinforcethe walls of said sides.

10. A container comprising a top, bottom, and sides, the bottomconsisting of an inner and outer wall of sheet material, said inner wallbeing spaced from the outer wall and forming therewith a chamber, andseparately formed reinforcing members, said members being arranged inclose proximity to each other and substantially filling said chamber.

11. A container comprising a to bottom, and sides, the bottom consisting0 an inner and outer wall of sheet material, said inner wall beingspaced from the outer wall and forming therewith a chamber, and hollowtransversely extending cylindrical reinforcing members filling saidchamber.

12. A container, comprising a top member, a bottom member, and sidemembers, one of said members consisting of an inner and outer wall ofsheet material and havin separately formed reinforcing members dlsposedbetween the walls, said members being arranged in close proximity toeach other and substantially filling the space between said walls.

13. A container, comprising a top member a bottom member and sidemembers, one 0 said members consisting of an inner and outer wall ofsheet material and having hollow substantially cylindrical membersdisposed between the walls, said members being arranged in closeproximity to each other and substantially filling the space between saidwalls.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this26 day of October, 1926.

WALTER LIGHT BODMAN.

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